Electric Cars Could Escape Bridge Tolls - Until They Become Popular

Loads of old people who make decisions within the UK city of Southampton's council department could make a monumental change to the nation's road rules next week, when they rule on whether or not to allow electric cars free passage over a toll bridge.

The Itchen bridge currently has a variety of tolls depending on the size of vehicles, but there's no provision for discounts for emission-free carriages. That might change on December 19, when Southampton City Council votes on a proposal to wave EVs through for free [PDF] in order to help meet clean air zone guidelines that are to be implemented by 2020.

There's a weird disclaimer in the proposal, though, one that says any freebie period for EVs would end when/if a greater uptake of electric cars means they start taking up more space on the roads than the current one per cent of traffic they make up in the area. [BBC]